3 ways to increase employee productivity through smart building design

Smart Building Design for Offices

Productivity is a significant consideration
for businesses, as staff costs typically can make up anywhere
between 50 and 85 percent of a business’s budget. Employees can be
the most expensive factor, according
to Billy Grayson of Liberty Property Trust, and increasing their
productivity even a small percentage can make a more significant
impact on the bottom line even than improving energy or efficiency.
However, the data correlating occupant wellness, sustainable
construction and productivity has been limited – until now.

According to researchers at Harvard and
Syracuse University, people who work in well-ventilated offices with
below-average levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide have
significant higher cognitive functioning scores — in crucial
areas such as responding to a crisis or developing strategy — than
those who work in offices with typical levels. In other words:
improving building sustainability also can elevate employee performance.

Here are 3 principles designers should employ
to improve employee productivity through more sustainable design:

1. Ensure building enclosures are airtight

According to researchers at Harvard and
Syracuse University, people who work in well-ventilated offices with
below-average levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide have
significant higher cognitive functioning scores — in crucial
areas such as responding to a crisis or developing strategy — than
those who work in offices with typical levels. In other words:
improving building sustainability also can elevate employee performance.

Here are 3 principles designers should employ
to improve employee productivity through more sustainable design:

1. Ensure building enclosures are airtight

A fundamental design method to improve
long-term indoor air quality can reduce potential for rot and
mildew. Berkeley
Lab estimated health problems and building damage due to
moisture racks up to approximately $3.5 billion annual
asthma-related medical costs attributable to exposures to dampness
and mold in the U.S.

Water vapor always will persist in the air,
which means wherever air flows, moisture will follow. Employing
moisture-resistant continuous insulation accompanied with air
sealing is one of the most effective ways to minimize moisture
intrusion. Continuous insulation simply is insulation that is
continuous across all structural members without thermal bridges
other than fasteners and service openings – it is installed on the
interior, exterior, or is integral to any opaque surface of the
building envelope. Not sure where to start? Check out Dow’s easy 3-step
process to identify the right insulation for your project.

2. Meet or exceed minimum R-values

Better R-values are correlated with improved
occupant comfort, which can accelerate employee productivity.
Meanwhile, changes to building codes throughout Canada are upping
the ante for builders to increase R-values – or the capacity of a
building’s insulation to resist heat flow – and improve air sealing
control measures. With these new requirements come many options,
which sometimes lead to confusion over how to meet code and which
products to use. In some regions, such as Ontario, one of the
biggest changes to complying with the code is the requirement of
continuous insulation.

Overall, the blanket of continuous insulation
wrapping the building should meet the minimum requirement for the
respective climate zone. This not only improves the energy
efficiency for heating and cooling, but is used to manage heat flow
to keep the surface temperature of materials inside the enclosure
above the expected dew point to prevent condensation on the interior
surfaces of exterior walls and ceilings. The insulation layer must
be continuous to prevent condensation in low R-value components of
the enclosure such as steel studs.

3. Build for productivity and efficiency

Building efficiency and occupant productivity
are not mutually exclusive – in fact, they can be complementary. As
more and more people work in office environments using computers and
other smart devices dependent on digital connectivity, they don’t
want physical discomfort to disrupt the things they need to get
done. When it’s too hot or too cold, for example, employees will be
distracted from their day-to-day tasks that harms overall
productivity in the long run. The best way to ensure this is to
achieve a high efficiency building envelope. However, the biggest
challenges are fine tuning what gives the best occupant comfort –
balancing the building envelop needs such as air leakage with
integrating it with mechanical equipment for smooth operation.

By designing with people in mind, efficient
buildings with improved air quality and other comforts can greatly
increase the cognitive function performance of workers. This is good
for people, planet, and profit.

A fundamental design method to improve
long-term indoor air quality can reduce potential for rot and
mildew. Berkeley
Lab estimated health problems and building damage due to
moisture racks up to approximately $3.5 billion annual
asthma-related medical costs attributable to exposures to dampness
and mold in the U.S.

Water vapor always will persist in the air,
which means wherever air flows, moisture will follow. Employing
moisture-resistant continuous insulation accompanied with air
sealing is one of the most effective ways to minimize moisture
intrusion. Continuous insulation simply is insulation that is
continuous across all structural members without thermal bridges
other than fasteners and service openings – it is installed on the
interior, exterior, or is integral to any opaque surface of the
building envelope. Not sure where to start? Check out Dow’s easy 3-step
process to identify the right insulation for your project.

2. Meet or exceed minimum R-values

Better R-values are correlated with improved
occupant comfort, which can accelerate employee productivity.
Meanwhile, changes to building codes throughout Canada are upping
the ante for builders to increase R-values – or the capacity of a
building’s insulation to resist heat flow – and improve air sealing
control measures. With these new requirements come many options,
which sometimes lead to confusion over how to meet code and which
products to use. In some regions, such as Ontario, one of the
biggest changes to complying with the code is the requirement of
continuous insulation.

Overall, the blanket of continuous insulation
wrapping the building should meet the minimum requirement for the
respective climate zone. This not only improves the energy
efficiency for heating and cooling, but is used to manage heat flow
to keep the surface temperature of materials inside the enclosure
above the expected dew point to prevent condensation on the interior
surfaces of exterior walls and ceilings. The insulation layer must
be continuous to prevent condensation in low R-value components of
the enclosure such as steel studs.

3. Build for productivity and efficiency

Building efficiency and occupant productivity
are not mutually exclusive – in fact, they can be complementary. As
more and more people work in office environments using computers and
other smart devices dependent on digital connectivity, they don’t
want physical discomfort to disrupt the things they need to get
done. When it’s too hot or too cold, for example, employees will be
distracted from their day-to-day tasks that harms overall
productivity in the long run. The best way to ensure this is to
achieve a high efficiency building envelope. However, the biggest
challenges are fine tuning what gives the best occupant comfort –
balancing the building envelop needs such as air leakage with
integrating it with mechanical equipment for smooth operation.

By designing with people in mind, efficient
buildings with improved air quality and other comforts can greatly
increase the cognitive function performance of workers. This is good
for people, planet, and profit.